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Duke   University   Libraries 

Report  of  the  s 
Conf  Pam  #307 


4     . 

REPORT 


SlfPERI.^TEi\OEiVT  OF  PUBLIC  P8ini.\G. 


Bureau  of  Public  Priminc.,  2 
Richmond,  Va:,  April  26,  1864.       \ 

Hon.  GtioKfiE  Davis,  Attbrncy  Gemral : 

Sir  :  The  operations  of  this  bureau  have  been  seriouslv  embar- 
rassed for'  some  time  past.  Messrs.  Smith,  Bailey  &  Co.,  who  wer« 
executing  the  printing  for  the  Treasui-y  Department,  have  refused  t'. 
receive  any  further  orders,  and  that  Dopartuient  is  now  without  a. 
contract  for  its  printing.  '  Messrs.  Ritchie  k  Dunnavant,  contractors 
for  the  ^n,Y  and  State  Depajftments,  assure- me  that  they  will  be  com- 
pelled, in  a  short  time,  to  discontinue  the  reception  of  g^ders  for  work, 
if  Congress  does  not  adopt  some  measure  of  relief. 

The  act  of  February  27,  1861,  allowed  the  printer  to  Congress 
seventy  cents  per  thousand  ems  for  composition,  and  seventy  cents 
per  token  for  press  work ;  and  the  heads  of  Executive  Department.^ 
were  authorized  to  contract  for  the  printing  for  their  Departments  at 
rates  not  higher  than  those  allowed  the  congressional  printer.  Ac- 
cordingly, contracts  were  made  by  all  tl^  Executive  Departments  at 
those  rates.  These  contracts,  however,  expired  months  since,  and  the 
Departments,  with  the  exception  of  the  Post  Office  Department,  failed 
to  renew  them;  but  the  contractors  still  continue  (with  the  exception 
above  stated)  to  perform  the  work,  although  at  considerable  loss.  At 
the  date  of  the  contracts,  printers  were  receiving  thirty-five  cents  per 
thousand  ems,  now  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  is  the  price  paid  them. 
Contractors,  therefore,  are  receiving  seventy  cents  per  thousand  ems 
and  paying  their  employees  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents.  It  cannot  be, 
expecred  that  they  will  long  continue  to  do  this.  Some  .measure  of 
relief  should  be  immediately  adopted. 

At  the  last  sessioai  of  Congress,  a  bill,  on  the  subject  of  printing, 


passed  the  House  of  Representatives,  but  was  not  taken  up  in  the 
Senate.  A  joint  resolution  was  approved  ou  the  5th  of  January, 
1864j  giving  authority  to  the  Joint  Committee  on  Printing  to  make 
a  tariff  of  prices  for  the  printing  for  Congress,  but  these  prices  do  not 
apply  to  the  printing  for  the  Departments.  I  would  suggest,  as  a 
matter  of  relief,  a  similar  resolution  in  regard  to  the  printing  for  the 
Executive  Departments.  This  would  obviate  all  difficulty.  No  gen- 
aral  law  in  regard  to  public  printing  can  at  present  be  framed  to  act 
with  equal  justice  to  the  Government  and  contractor.  The  wages 
paid  by  the  contractor  to-day  may  rise  twenty-five  or  fifty  per  cent, 
in  three  or  six  months,  or  may  fall  in  that  time  in  the  same  propor- 
tion. In  either  case  jt  would  scarcely  be  just  to  hold  either  party  to 
the  contract.  If  such  a  resolution  was  passed,  the  Joint  Committee 
on  Printing  could,  from  time  to  time,  alter  their  tariff  of  prices  to 
conform  to  the  ruling  prices  pajd  for  labor. 

In  this  connection,  I  as'k  your  attention  to  the  suggestion  contained 
in  my  annual  report  cf  the  ISth  of  November,  1863,  and  recommend 
''the  policy  of  authorizing  the  head  of  this  bureau  to  apportion  the 
|»rinting  of  the  Government  (except  of  Congress  and  the  Post  Offico 
Department)  among  the  several  printing  establishments  of  this  city, 
without  the  formality  of  making  a  contract.  There  are  frequent 
complaints  made  of  the  delay  in  delivering  printing  ordered.  The 
riffht  to  <nve  out  the  work  to  that  establishment  which  could  return  it 
first  would,  of  course,  secure  a  more  prompt  compliance  with  the  de- 
Tiiands  of  the  Government." 

There  are  now  on  my  books  unfinished  orders,  dated  as  far  back  as 
September  last.  No  two  or  three  offices  in  this  city  are  capable  of 
performing  all  the  printing  for  the  Government  in  any  reasonable 
time,  and  great  inconvenience  has  and  must  continue  to  result  to  all 
the  Departments  by  over  crowding  a  few  offices  with  all  the  printing 
for  the  Government,  while  there  are  several  other  establishments  that 
would  be  gla^o  perform  a  portion  of  the  work,  at  a  fair  compensation. 

These  considerations  are  offered  in  the  hope,  if  they  are  not  carried 
out,  some  other  plan  may  be  adopted  to  relieve  this  bureau  from  the. 
embarrassments  which  it  will  have   to  encounter   in  the  event,  of  the 
refusal  of  the  other  contractors  to  receive  orders  for  printing. 
1  have  the  honor,  sir,  to  be. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

^  GEO.  E.  W.  NELSON, 

Superintendent  of  Public  Printing. 


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